Davar Ardalan

Davar Ardalan is the Senior Producer of NPR's Identity and Culture unit and a deft social media strategist. The social engagements she has helped lead on Twitter around #NPRWIT (women in tech), #NPRBlacksinTech & #NPRLatism have garnered millions of impressions.

From 2011 to 2014, Ardalan was responsible for producing the live daily news broadcast for NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin. From the opinions of global newsmakers to listeners, and the wisdom of renowned thinkers, activists and spiritual leaders, Tell Me More brought fresh voices and perspectives to public radio. In October 2012, Ardalan was part of the NPR team that produced a live Twitter Education Forum in Miami, Florida, engaging a diverse community via social media tools on the topic of education reform. She has also helped produce #TMMPoetry, a series that asked listeners to share their poems in 140 characters or less.

Prior to Tell Me More, Ardalan was in charge of NPR's Weekend EditionSaturday and Sunday were she helped integrate social media tools and expanded audience interactivity. In 2009, Ardalan collaborated with AIR, the Association for Independents in Radio, on interactive media projects that captured stories and images from around the country and encouraged audience participation across platforms on npr.org.

Ardalan has also worked as a Supervising Producer for Morning Edition where she helped shape the daily newsmagazine, and was responsible for decisions that required elaborate coordination such as broadcasts from Baghdad, Kabul and New Orleans.

Through the years, her public radio productions have been recognized with two NABJ Awards and a Gracie Award from the American Women in Radio and Television. She began her radio career as a reporter in 1991 at KUNM in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In May 2014, she was the recipient of an Ellis Island Medal of Honor, for individual achievement and for promoting cultural unity.

Away from NPR, she is the mother of four and author of The Persian Square and My Name is Iran.

We know that women and minorities continue to be underrepresented in the STEM fields — that's science, technology, engineering and math. Now dip into #RaceOnTech to find out why. Since Monday, entrepreneurs, scientists, computer scientists and coders from Silicon Valley to Greenbelt, Md., have been sharing their thoughts one tweet at a time.

Cuban cigars are wrapped in mystique. Soon travelers will be able to bring back $100 worth of the famed cigars. Here are some facts you should know.

1. Cuban cigars are expensive, even in Cuba.

As NPR's Tom Gjelten tweeted, the new permission to bring back $100 worth of tobacco (or alcohol) allows you at the most four good cigars. Tom says he hasn't been back to Cuba for six years, but the last time he was there, a single Cohiba or Uppman "set you back at least $25."

Code Switch has been writing about some overlooked cultural interactions that have helped shape what Jewish identity is today, and we continue the series with a post by Tell Me More Senior Producer Davar Ardalan on Iranian Jews.